Some countries in Latin America have been implementing the creation of new protected areas as a strategy to safeguard ecosystems and their biodiversity. Costa Rica and Panama, for instance, count more than 30% of their territory under the administration of the National Systems of Protected Areas, demonstrating, at least on paper, the importance of biodiversity for national … [Read more...] about Ecotourism: An instrument for valorization and distribution of biodiversity’s benefits
The carnival of climate change adaptation
If I were to say to you “Carnival” “Trinidad and Tobago” “Buccoo Reef” in quick succession...you would follow me -- because this makes sense, right? But what if I throw in “climate change adaptation”?! Now you may be lost. It is ok; I’ll explain. With the increasing challenges that climate change is creating for our planet and the greenhouse gas emissions profiles for most … [Read more...] about The carnival of climate change adaptation
One farmer at a time: how a digital land registry will improve food, land security and forest protection in rural Amazonas
How do you feed a mega-city encrusted in the middle of the Amazon forest without resorting to deforestation? The inescapable answer is agriculture. But the challenge doesn’t end there. The capital city of the Amazonas state, Manaus, finds itself isolated from the major agricultural producing centers of Brazil. As a result, it must rely heavily on smallholder, rural producers … [Read more...] about One farmer at a time: how a digital land registry will improve food, land security and forest protection in rural Amazonas
Location, Location, Location: Where we put infrastructure impacts habitats and biodiversity
This past March, two high profile articles were published that make somber reading for those interested in the natural world. The first, in Current Biology, was led by Bill Laurance and described the risks of rapid infrastructure expansion for habitats and biodiversity and the second, in Science, was led by Nick Haddad and described the pernicious, and now global, effects of … [Read more...] about Location, Location, Location: Where we put infrastructure impacts habitats and biodiversity
Five Steps to Building Sustainable Housing: The Case of Guyana’s Hinterland
Donald and Gloria are leaders of the Indigenous Community of Kwatamang, located in Region 9 of southeastern Guyana. It is not easy to get to Katwamang: first you have to take a 90 minute flight in a small plane from Georgetown, the country's capital, and then you have a short (and a little bit bumpy) drive on rural roads, running through virgin rainforest. Kwatamang, much like … [Read more...] about Five Steps to Building Sustainable Housing: The Case of Guyana’s Hinterland